Pennsylvania state parks will allow Canada goose hunting when the state’s early Canada geese season opens Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources noted many state parks will accommodate hunters during the statewide season, which runs through Friday, Sept. 25, and is designed to

reduce local nuisance geese populations.

Hunters should contact individual park offices for local starting dates and other details. Some parks are closed to hunting, while others are opening some areas normally closed to hunters. Also, with the early season starting before Labor Day, Sept. 7, some parks will not allow hunting until Tuesday, Sept.8, because of late-summer visitors. Sunday hunting is not permitted in Pennsylvania.

Canada geese may be hunted during the early season at state parks within designated hunting areas. Again this year, hunters will be permitted to take one Canada goose in the Pymatuning zone in Crawford County; while hunters may take up to three geese on Pymatuning State Park Reservoir and an area extending 100 yards inland from the shoreline of the reservoir, excluding the area east of Hartstown Road. However, in the Pymatuning zone, all of State Game Land 214 located in Crawford County will be closed to September goose hunting. Additionally, no hunting will take place on the controlled hunting area at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon and Lancaster counties.

As with last season’s change to bag limits and zone boundaries in the Southern James Bay Population zone in Erie County, the bag limit will remain at three geese daily, and six in possession. The zone is defined as: the area north of Route 80 and west of Route 79, including in the city of Erie west of Bay Front Parkway to the Lake Erie Duck zone, which includes Lake Erie, Presque Isle and the area within 150 yards of the Lake Erie shoreline.

Excluding these areas, an eight-goose daily bag limit and a 16-bird possession limit will be in effect statewide.

Non-migratory Canada goose populations have increased drastically in recent years, causing crop damage and nuisance problems in residential neighborhoods. Park visitors often complain about goose excrement on state park beaches and other facilities, and water quality at some state parks has been adversely affected.

Resident Canada geese have been among the suspected cause of high fecal coliform counts at some Pennsylvania state park beaches, forcing swimming restrictions during peak use periods.

Many state parks have taken measures, including anti-goose fencing and/or the use of loud noisemakers, in the attempt to deter the waterfowl or scare them away.

All Game Commission rules and regulations governing the early Canada goose season will apply at state parks. State park information can be found at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

Persons with disabilities wanting to hunt geese in the early season should contact specific state parks for further information. Sporting groups interested in volunteering for waterfowl habitat improvements and other projects in state parks should contact local state park managers.

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